


Checks & Choices: A Comprehensive (If Somewhat Abridged) Rulebook

by OffshoreWriter



Category: Lego Ninjago, Original Work
Genre: Gen, tldr: I rewrote D&D to fit my own niche needs and this is where you go to read the rules
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-12 17:20:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29014215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OffshoreWriter/pseuds/OffshoreWriter
Summary: A companion work to Passed Checks & Past Choices.
Kudos: 1





	1. A Brief Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> A little context: This work is intended ONLY as a companion work to my ongoing fic Passed Checks & Past Choices, available on my profile. Go read what I have of that first.
> 
> Essentially, I've gone and rewritten/simplified the rules of D&D as I understand them (having never played the game). I promise you, I did research, but there was no way I was going to use all of those rules in my story. To save my sanity, I retooled them into something a little easier to implement. If you wanted, you could probably play this as an actual game, although I don't recommend it. Also, I didn't want to write all the minutiae that Dara would handle behind-the-scenes, which is why this is the abridged version and not the extended version she names in the story.
> 
> Keep this work on file - you and I are both going to need it.

Welcome to _ Checks & Choices: A Comprehensive Rulebook _ ! We’re so glad you’ve decided to join us in playing this incredible game. Checks & Choices, which we like to call C&C, is a cooperative game that’s equal parts math, amateur improv, and adventure at every turn!

C&C has a lot of rules, and at first, they can be pretty intimidating, especially if you’ve never played before. That’s why this rulebook exists. You’ll learn about everything C&C has to offer, from the most basic game mechanics to advanced techniques - in fact, this book is a useful tool for even the most seasoned players. We’ll start with the essentials and move up from there. 

Turn the page - your adventure is waiting. We’ll be with you every step of the way.

Cheers,

_ The C&C Team _


	2. All You Need Is Love... And This Glossary... And Also This Shopping List

Checks & Choices, if you’re making assumptions based on the title alone, seems like a pretty simple game: you check on things and make choices. While you’d be  _ partially _ correct, C&C also involves a lot of other things. Besides the rules outlined in this book, you’re also going to need some equipment and some basic definitions. These can be confusing, so in this chapter, we’re going to break down everything you’ll need to play C&C.

* * *

####  _**Definitions** _

The following terms are going to come up a lot - both while you’re reading this guide and while you’re playing. Get to know them. There are some terms that you’ll run into later that aren’t in this list, but that’s okay - we’ll define them when we get there. In the meantime, say hello to these terrific terms:

  * Player: one of the people involved in a game of C&C. That’s you (unless you’re just reading this book because it was the only one left at the library, in which case, we _hope_ it’ll be you soon)! 
  * Gamemaster: a special kind of player who crafts the story for a game of C&C. Gamemasters control when, why, and how certain things happen, and they guide you and your character through the story. If you get stuck, your Gamemaster is your first resource. We’ll talk about the Gamemaster’s role a little more in the next chapter, and there are several chapters dedicated to helping them craft a believable game.
  * Character: an entity controlled by a player. Sometimes, if the Gamemaster has a specific story, she might pre-write characters; other times, that’s the first thing you’ll do in C&C. Characters are your way of experiencing the worlds your Gamemaster creates, and the possibilities are so endless that character creation has a couple chapters of its own near the end of this book!
  * Party: a group of characters/players, including your Gamemaster. Parties can be small, intimate groups, or they can be big enough to have a full roster of heroes and villains. See who you can rustle up!
  * MC: Short for “minor character”, this is a type of character controlled by the Gamemaster. They’re like NPCs in a typical video game - characters can interact with them, form alliances or rivalries, and even rope them into certain adventures. 
  * Campaign: the story that players play through. Gamemasters usually plan their own, so no two campaigns are ever the same.
  * Session: a single gameplay period under one campaign. Campaigns can get pretty long, so breaking them up into sessions helps. Your first session under a campaign might be spent getting to know other players and their characters. By the time your campaign ends and you’re in the throes of your final session, you could be fighting off an ancient army or leading the heist of the century! Sessions can be relatively quick - under an hour, if things go well. They can also be a few hours long. It all depends on what kind of party you’re in and what kind of story your Gamemaster wants to tell.



* * *

####  _**Equipment** _

C&C is largely a game of the mind, but to make things easier for everyone, there are a few pieces of equipment that you’ll want to get. You can buy them, or, if you’re feeling crafty, make them - the choice is yours.

  * **Dice** are the most important items for a successful campaign (and they’re available in tons of fun designs, to boot!). Smaller parties can share a full set; larger parties might want to make sure everyone has their own. Here are all the types of dice used in C&C and what they’re used for - each die has a specific purpose so you aren’t scrambling for a certain one during gameplay. We’ll define all of these purposes in the third and fourth chapters.
    * Five-sided die: often called a five-sider, this die is used for general skill checks.
    * Ten-sided die: often called a ten-sider _,_ this die is used for MC specifier checks and executive checks.
    * Twenty-sided die: often called a twenty-sider, this die is used for salvation checks.
    * Thirty-sided die: often called a thirty-sider, this die is used for determining character Base Stats. They can also be used to raise the stakes of salvation checks.
    * Die pouch and dice tray: Keep your dice safe before, during, and after these sessions. We recommend a simple drawstring pouch for storing your dice - most sets of dice come with these, or you can buy them separately. Dedicated players and those who play longer sessions might add a dice tray. These are like fancy egg cartons for your dice: each one has a specifically shaped divot to sit in, making them useful for gameplay and display alike. 
  * **Info** **sheets** are used to record character information including Skills, Base Stats, and what Items a character has, among other things. During sessions, you’ll want these within arm’s reach so you can consult them easily. Example info sheets are included in the very back of this book, and the Gamemaster will have everyone use identical ones to keep things consistent. Keep a pencil handy to make on-the-fly updates to your info sheets - you’ll want to remember when your character picks up a new weapon - and a folder to store them in between sessions.
  * **Background** **(BG) sheets** are documents that contain your character’s backstory. These are most common in campaigns where your Gamemaster has already crafted the player characters, although it’s also common for players to create their own and share them with their party during the first session. They help you get a sense for who you’re playing as - a typical one might describe where your character is from, their hopes and dreams, their darkest desires, how they like their eggs in the morning, and their master plans and motives, to name a few. While not _strictly_ necessary, BG sheets help make campaigns richer and more believable. Trust us. They’re worth the hassle.
  * **Timers** are a special type of equipment that only your Gamemaster needs and uses. Specially built trios of tiny hourglasses are the most traditional option for the game - something about quietly rushing sand really helps set the C&C mood (and, if it’s your Gamemaster’s birthday, they’re _always_ excited to expand their collection). Otherwise, your Gamemaster may use an electronic kitchen timer, a stopwatch, or even just count out loud. The important thing is that they’re able to measure in increments of fifteen, thirty, and sixty seconds. This comes in handy for certain actions in a campaign, especially the dramatic ones.



So you’ve got all your equipment together, and you’ve gathered a crowd of friends to build your party. Great! Now it’s time for the main course: learning about the rules of the world your Gamemaster works so hard to create and maintain.

But before we do that, you’ll want to learn a little more about your Gamemaster. On to the next chapter!

  
  
  



	3. The Care and Keeping of Your Statistics and Skills

As you enter the world your Gamemaster has built, you’ve got your ideal character in mind: tall, dark, and oh-so-talented. But… what  _ are _ those talents? In order to make your characters vibrant and fun to play, the answer better not be “everything, duh”. Plus, if no one else in your party has the immense magical skills you’re dreaming up for yourself, things are going to go off the rails pretty quickly. 

To keep things fun for all and to simplify the character-making process, all player characters start their lives with a series of die rolls to determine their Skill Statistics, colloquially known as  _ Stats _ . Stats help determine what your character is good, bad, and just plain awful at during the game. Remember:  **A Skill is the area a Stat applies to; the Stat is that character’s particular aptitude for a Skill.**

Of course, there’s not a Skill for every situation under the sun, or our writers would be trapped at their desks for eternity writing all of those possibilities out. You wouldn’t ever get to read this book! To save our writers from such torture, we’ve devised a smaller series of versatile Skills. In no particular order, the Skills your character have are:

  * Strength
  * Speed
  * Willpower
  * Intelligence
  * Interaction
  * Chance



Certain handcrafted campaigns might have more specific Skills, like Magic or Grenade Launcher Handling (in which case, call us up - we’d  _ love _ to see what kind of campaign that is), but these six are the essentials. We’ll get to what they mean in a moment, but for now, let’s learn how to  _ assign _ Base Stats - that is, the Stats that your character starts a campaign with. In order to assign Base Stats, we need a character (you can find more details on character creation later on in this book). For now, let’s say we’re playing as a humble human named Dan the Example Man. Hi, Dan! Let’s get you some stats.

(In some cases, the Gamemaster may pre-assign stats to characters. This is common when the Gamemaster has specific characters in mind and wants their powers to balance out, or if they’re leading a quick game and don’t want to waste time helping players build characters. This is not one of those cases.)

To assign Base Stats, you’ll need your 30-sided die and somewhere to record each number you get - usually your info sheets, which have a nice lineup of labeled slots to write these in. You’ll want to do this in pencil in case you need to update them later, and your Gamemaster should be nearby to watch so you don’t cheat. Gamemasters, if you’re implementing custom Stats, you’ll want to consult that chapter later in the book for details - just be sure your players actually know about and roll for them.

For each Skill, roll your 30-sided die and record the number in the specific blank. Be sure to work down the list in order. We’ve done this for Dan, and here’s what his Base Stats are:

  * Strength: 16
  * Speed: 4
  * Willpower: 8
  * Intelligence: 23
  * Interaction: 26
  * Chance: 21



Congrats, Dan! He’s got Base Stats now, but what do all these numbers  _ mean? _ The higher a number, the stronger a character’s ability with the specified Skill. Let’s work down the list and define what each Skill is - and what Dan’s Stats mean for him.

  * **Strength** is physical toughness and endurance, as well as skill with weapons. Dan’s Strength is a slightly-above-average 16, so he’s your average guy in terms of strength. He won’t win any bodybuilding competitions, but he’d be a good choice if you need to move a heavy couch. Strength also governs general weapons handling, so Dan won’t be the best swordsman out there, but he’ll make some decent hits.
  * **Speed** is how fast your character can move. This is Dan’s worst Stat, so if the tower Dan is in catches fire, he’s _very_ likely to roast unless he throws a perfect 5, subs in his Chance, or calls in a Sal Check (more on those later - better hope your Gamemaster is merciful, Dan). 
  * **Willpower** is your character’s mental fortitude - how well do they hold up under pressure and make difficult choices? When faced with an insurmountable obstacle, do they give up, or do their best in spite of it? This is Dan’s second-lowest Stat - an 8 could be worse, but it could be a lot better. He’ll encounter a locked door with a ring of one hundred keys hanging by it, try three of them, and then give up entirely (until one of his friends swoops in with their 20 to try the remaining ninety-seven).
  * **Intelligence is how smart your character is. How good are they at solving puzzles, taking note of their surroundings, and coming up with workable solutions? Dan’s Intelligence is a 23, meaning he’s smarter than the average bear. Riddles, cryptic messages on tomb walls, and investigating scenes for clues are easy for Dan. In cases where players need to be especially quiet, Intelligence can also double as stealth. This means that Dan can not only decipher ancient clues - he can do it quickly and quietly, before the enemy notices.**
  * **Interaction** is how well characters interact with other characters, especially MCs. A character with low Interaction might have a hard time carrying small talk at a party, but someone like Dan (with his stunning 26) can talk a desert nomad into buying a snowsuit. Interaction can be used for good or evil - a pep talk before a final battle, or manipulating the enemy into giving up sensitive information. 
  * **Chance** is a unique Skill - it’s pure luck. Unlike other Skills, Chance can be used up to three times per session as a substitute for another Skill (the Gamemaster keeps track). In Dan’s case, if he’s trapped in a burning tower, he might opt to roll for Chance _instead_ of rolling for Speed and use the total of his Chance roll to determine his success (more on that in Chapter 4!). His Chance is a nice 21, so if he substitutes that for his Speed, he’s got a much better chance of living. Some characters have unnaturally high Chance; some have reasonably average Chance; some have Chance lower than all their other stats, rendering it essentially useless. It’s just like real life!



On occasion - usually after an unusually successful Check or a moment of character development - the Gamemaster may choose to raise the Base Stat in question by one point. Similarly, after a long string of really bad Checks, that Base Stat might lose a point. As with many rules in this game, application is up to the Gamemaster based on the kind of play experience they want to provide.

Congratulations! You now know the basics of Skills and Stats. In the next chapter, you’ll learn what you’re supposed to do with them and how they affect gameplay. (You’ll also learn a  _ bunch _ of other stuff, but that’s beside the point.)


	4. Check (Types), Please!

Great! You’ve got all your stats - what now? Easy: it’s time to learn about Checks. As the game’s name implies, Checks are the backbone of the game. 

We at C&C believe in leaving most - but not  _ all _ \- power to the players. You ultimately make the choices, but to keep you from trampling all over your Gamemaster’s carefully woven world, we’ve given you a system of Checks. 

There are five kinds of Checks:

**General Skill Checks (gen checks)**

General skill checks, usually called gen checks, are one of the most common types of Check in C&C (hence the “general” in the name). All gen checks use your five-sided die, and determining the outcome is called “rolling for”, i.e.,  _ rolling for Chance _ . If a Check ends up working, it “passes”; if not, it “fails”. They can be initiated by either the player or the Gamemaster. We’ll explain how gen checks work with an example scenario:

_ Dan and his companions are breaking into a fancy party in order to sneak into a vault and snag a precious artifact that’s been stolen from their friend - a large, heavy amulet the size of a tea saucer. They’ve made it to the vault in question, and while his party members are busy undoing the lock, Dan decides he’ll carry the amulet out using his Strength. _

Dan has just initiated a gen check - he wants to perform a task that relates to his Strength skill, so he needs to check how well it will work. Dan’s Base Strength is 16, but by rolling for Strength, he can raise that to anywhere from 17 to 21. This change takes effect only to determine how successfully Dan can lift the amulet; he’ll start every Strength gen check with the same Base Stat. Dan rolls his five-sider and gets a 2. He adds it to his Base Strength for an 18, meaning the action passes, but not by much.

_ Dan manages to lift the amulet and slip the heavy gold chain around his neck - it’s not hard to carry by any means, but it’s bulky. Dan either needs to find somewhere on his person to hide the necklace, transfer it to someone else, or keep it where it is and hope nobody notices. Dan’s party members are all loaded down with their various equipment, so Dan decides he’ll need to use either his Intelligence (to hide it) or his Interaction (to charm his way through with some sort of excuse) to make it out.  _

Dan’s Intelligence and Interaction Base Stats are both very high, but Interaction is the higher of the two, so he chooses to roll for Interaction. Since Dan’s Interaction is so close to 30 (the max for any Base Stat), the Gamemaster sets a condition: if Dan rolls so his total comes out to 29 exactly, the action will succeed unconditionally. This method keeps players with higher stats (the threshold is usually 25) from overpowering their fellow players by making it a little harder for these Checks to pass. The Gamemaster determines what that specific number is on a case-by-case basis - usually, it’s two or three points above the Base Stat. In this case, Dan rolls a 4, meaning his total is a 30 for this gen check. The Check fails, but since the score was only one point away from passing, the Gamemaster interprets it as a near-pass and the story continues as follows:

_ Dan and his friends are halfway to the door - so far, nobody at the party is concerned about the amulet leaving the building. Those who ask are met with Dan’s winning excuses, and they smile, nod, and let him by. Someone even gives him a souvenir saucer because he’s so friendly! That is, until a member of the building’s security detail notices and starts giving chase. If Dan and his team want to escape, they have to act fast.  _

If a scenario is especially tense, the Gamemaster may opt to time gen checks for dramatic effect. They’ll use one of their special timers for this purpose, and they’ll announce it before letting players roll for Stats. When the timer starts, Dan has to figure out what he wants to roll for. (Gamemasters may suggest actions if they want to.) Speed is the only viable choice here, but since Dan’s is so low and he’s desperate for this action to work, he decides to roll for Chance and sub it in for Speed.

Rolling for Chance is an unusual action. As we’ve discussed, Chance can be substituted for a Stat of a player’s choosing up to three times per session (the Gamemaster plans sessions so that these don’t get used up too quickly). It works similarly to a regular gen check - whatever Dan gets will be added to his Chance Base Stat, but the number will be interpreted as a Speed roll. Dan announces his intentions as the timer runs, and he rolls for Chance; he gets a 4, raising his Chance for this action to an impressive 25. Since he rolled for Chance to be subbed for Speed, the Gamemaster interprets his 25 as a Speed, and this happens:

_ In an impressive burst of speed, Dan shoves the security guards aside and sprints for the exit, with his team holding them back as he runs. Soon, he’s running off into the sunset, the amulet bobbing around his neck and the mission saved… almost. When his party catches up to him, one of them cuts off the celebration by lunging at Dan and attempting to steal the amulet for themselves - a traitor! Dan is stumped - if he loses this amulet, what will he do? _

Dan may have no clue what to do, and that’s when the Gamemaster can step in and tell him to roll for a certain Stat. This usually happens when the Gamemaster needs the story to progress in a certain way, so they have the player roll for a certain Stat and interpret it to better fit their plot. In this case, the Gamemaster has Dan roll for Intelligence. He rolls a perfect 5, cranking his Intelligence for this action up to a whopping 28, and the Gamemaster tells Dan what that means:   
  


_ Dan pretends to give the traitor the amulet - he dramatically turns around and makes a big show of wrapping the “amulet”, which is just that souvenir saucer he got on the way out, in a handkerchief. He gives the convincing packet to the traitor and takes off running with his party, the amulet still safely in his possession. _

Dan used an Item in this scenario - we’ll learn more about those in the next chapter. He used his spectacular roll to disguise the saucer that he received as a gift as the amulet. This is an action Dan may not have thought of by himself. However, without the amulet, the story would have been delayed - perhaps even completely shut down - so the Gamemaster had to step in. 

There are measures in place to keep things more or less fair. A character like Dan, with super-low Speed, may never be able to win a footrace if the threshold for passing a gen check is a 10 and the highest he can get is a 9. To keep players from feeling like they suck at the game, the Gamemaster interprets results differently for every character based on their stats. If Dan rolls a solid 5 for Speed, the Gamemaster might have him come in fourth place in the footrace - by no means a win, but it’s pretty good for Dan.

**Action Checks**

Action checks are very simple: the Gamemaster provides a menu of options in a given scenario, and the player chooses one of them. This is the other most common Check type in a typical game. These actions are often very minor and always work, so they don’t require any kind of die-rolling. For example, if Dan is at a celebratory ball, the Gamemaster might ask him if he wants to visit the dance floor, the gardens, or the refreshment table. All an action check does is move a story forward by offering a risk-free choice.

A variant of the action check is the timed action check, or TAC, which - as the name implies - is the same as a regular action check with the addition of a timer. These depend on whether or not the Gamemaster wants to add some drama to an action check. If the timer runs out, the Gamemaster might raise the stakes even further or give your enemy an advantage, so act fast.

Another variant of the action check doesn’t rely on concrete choices. Instead, a Gamemaster might provide details about the situation at hand - say, what the room that the characters are in looks like - and ask them to evaluate and come up with a plan. Players can ask for more details if they’d like to. These usually trigger loads of discussion, which is good! Some of the most memorable campaign moments start out with a Gamemaster letting their players investigate a mysterious chamber or examine a cryptic puzzle. Sometimes they’ll be blended with a gen check, too. For example, if Dan is looking for a certain clue in a painting, the Gamemaster might have him roll for Intelligence after giving him the details in order to determine what kind of information he finds.

**MC Specifier Checks (spec checks)**

MC specifier checks, also known as spec checks, are an unusual type of check: they’re aimed at  _ controlling _ MCs. They use your ten-sided die and may or may not be timed, depending on the Gamemaster’s wishes. We’ll explain spec checks with another scenario - a sequel to the gen check one:

_ Dan and his party are walking down the street, trying to bring the amulet back to their friend before sundown. However, there’s a massive brawl happening up ahead, and it would take too long to reroute. In order to make it through unscathed, they’re going to need ammo or brute force. Luckily, there’s a young man selling fruit from a sturdy rolling cart nearby. Upon chatting with the fruit seller, the party learns that he is, by some stroke of fortune, the town’s favorite person, and nobody has ever tried to hurt him or his fruit cart. Dan has an idea: if the fruit seller moves his cart through the crowd, he’ll be able to clear a path and lead the party through unscathed. _

Dan needs to persuade this MC to push his cart through the crowd, so he announces that he’d like to spec check the fruit seller. The Gamemaster asks what he’d like to do, and Dan lays out his desired action in simple terms. Once approved, Dan rolls his ten-sider, and the Gamemaster interprets. Let’s say the roll goes really well, but not perfectly - Dan gets an 8, meaning the spec check passes well enough for the following to happen:

_ The fruit seller is more than happy to oblige, provided every member of Dan’s party buys a piece of fruit afterwards to make up for the sale he might miss while he’s helping. Dan and his friends trail the fruit seller through the crowd, which parts miraculously, and they make it through just fine (plus they have snacks for the road!). _

If Dan had rolled a 9 or 10, the fruit might have been free. If Dan had rolled a 5, they might have still gotten through, but the fruit seller wouldn’t have been happy about it and somebody would have gotten mildly injured in the fray. If Dan had rolled even lower, well…

_ The fruit seller is appalled that Dan’s party wants to use his precious cart in such a callous manner and gives everyone a rotten apple to throw at the crowd - that’s all the help they’ll get from him. The fruit seller leaves in a huff, and Dan’s party is left with a couple of bad apples that will only make things worse. _

At this point, Dan could try to spec check the MC again, but his party might be better off if everyone rolls for Strength and fights their way through. 

Please remember: spec checks are  _ not _ the same as rolling for an Interaction gen check. If Dan had chosen to roll for Interaction here, he could have talked the MC into giving everyone a free orange to throw or even letting his party have the cart. However, since Dan presumably didn’t want to drag a fruit cart around all day, he used a spec check to get the MC to perform that action for him. Spec checks are also handy when a character can’t do something and needs help. If Dan is trapped and needs to press a button to escape, he might use a spec check to get a bystander to throw a pebble at the button. In a dire situation like that, the Gamemaster might even opt to time the spec check for extra flair - if Dan doesn’t get a successful roll before the timer ends, he’s staying right where he is.

**Salvation Checks (sal checks)**

Things go wrong -  _ very _ wrong - for characters sometimes, and that’s okay. It’s why Salvation Checks, often called sal checks (or just sals), exist. In the event that things go horribly wrong in ways even the Gamemaster couldn’t plan for, a sal check is your savior.

Sal checks aren’t quite the same as rolling for Chance. Whereas Chance is a Stat that can be applied in any situation, a sal check can only be applied  _ thrice per campaign per character.  _ It operates as a more theatrical version of rock-paper-scissors.

Say Dan is in the final session of his campaign. He’s staring down his arch-nemesis - let’s call him Keh-Vihn. Keh-Vihn keeps forcing Dan to roll for Speed, which Dan is  _ not _ good at, and Dan is about to get smoked. He can’t fall back on rolling for Chance - he ran out of those a while ago. He can call in a sal check at this point, triggering the following procedure:

  1. Dan and Keh-Vihn (whoever’s playing him, whether that be another player or the Gamemaster operating him as an MC) both take out their 20-sided dice. 
  2. Dan confirms that he’d like to call a sal check. The Gamemaster records it. This is the point of no return.
  3. Dan and Keh-Vihn each state their intentions for what they want to happen if they win: Dan would like Keh-Vihn to succumb to one of his blows, and Keh-Vihn would like Dan to die immediately.
  4. Dan and Keh-Vihn “roll it out”: they each cast their 20-sided die 3 times and add the results. Whoever has a higher total wins, and their predetermined action is carried out. The Gamemaster or a third party player (if the Gamemaster is running an MC that a player is competing against) watches to keep them accountable.



Sal checks are risky and exciting. Because they don’t depend on any particular Skill, they’re a great choice when you don’t see a way out (they’re also good for kicking an opponent when they’re down), and they make for killer storytelling. To spice up a sal check, a Gamemaster might have players use their thirty-siders. This only gives them two rolls to work with, raising the stakes and making it all the more dramatic.

Sal checks cannot be used to accomplish the same goal - if two party members want the same thing from a Sal check in order to ensure their combined success, the Gamemaster stops the sal check and may have one of them do a regular gen check.

**Executive Checks**

Executive Checks, a.k.a. ex checks, are an unusual and rare type of Check. Utilized only by the Gamemaster, ex checks allow the Gamemaster to step in and make a decision  _ for _ a player. Now, we know what you’re thinking, because we get this question often: “Doesn’t the Gamemaster already control  _ everything?”  _ Not quite!

See, the Gamemaster controls the  _ world _ you play in. They might do a bunch of different things - set your ground rules, write elaborate backstories for minor characters, tell you how gravity works, or even prewrite characters if they have a special story they want to tell. What they don’t do is tell you exactly  _ where _ to go with those elements. Your Gamemaster might tell you that your boat is broken and the river before you is too choppy to ford, but they can’t stop you from rolling for Strength and trying anyway. A good Gamemaster lets players have most of the freedom; a good player lets the Gamemaster guide them through the world. As long as both players and the Gamemaster trust each other, there is balance, and the game can continue.

However, nothing ruins a party like a stick in the mud, and that’s what ex checks are for. 

Let’s say hello to Dan again. Suppose he’s trapped on a desert island all alone, and his Gamemaster offers him a choice of actions: do nothing and die (at which point he’ll meet his dead party member and rest in peace) or attempt to swim back to the mainland. Dan hates both of these options because, according to him, he’s guaranteed to die. As a result, his player shuts his dice tray, crosses his arms, and refuses to speak. Unless Dan makes this crucial choice, the game will grind to a halt. In moments like this, the Gamemaster can opt to ex check him and make that choice  _ for _ him. 

In this case, the Gamemaster rolls their 10-sided die to determine the outcome: evens mean death to Dan, odds mean it’s tunnel time. The Gamemaster gets a 6, so Dan dies. Here, the Gamemaster pauses Dan’s story and continues with the rest of the party until his player has cooled off some. When Dan rejoins, the Gamemaster might reveal that Dan’s got special powers now that he’s a ghost - or the Gamemaster might not grant him any extra abilities and instead invite him to create a new character. What happens after an ex check is up to the Gamemaster, but no matter what, the game moves forward. 

Ex checks can also be used to settle character arguments. When two players start taking their roles a bit too seriously and get into an in-character blowout fight over a choice, an ex check can be used to settle it (or threaten the players into calming down - it all depends on the Gamemaster).

  
From a technical standpoint, an ex check can be conducted with any piece of game equipment. Depending on the number of choices that need to be settled, a Gamemaster may choose to use their 5-sided, 10-sided, 20-sided, or 30-sided die; they may base the outcome on whether it lands on odds or evens, a multiple of a certain number, or even a few specific numbers. An especially cheeky Gamemaster might fling their die pouch across the table and determine the outcome based on where the drawstrings land like a less-dignified version of reading tea leaves. Feeling needlessly dramatic? Try Ex Check Roulette - scrawl a wheel of fortune on the back of an old info sheet and spin a pencil in the middle.

* * *

Keep this chapter handy during your campaign - knowing what kind of Check works for a given situation gets you one step closer to success.


	5. It’s The Gamemaster’s World (and You’re Just Playing in It)

While all players in a C&C campaign are important, the campaign itself wouldn’t exist without the hard work of your Gamemaster. When you show up to a session and everything is well-organized, they’re the ones you have to thank. Gamemasters are responsible for all of the behind-the-scenes work that, let’s face it, would make any session boring with a capital “B”. Some of these thankless tasks include:

  * Choosing (or even building from scratch!) the world your characters will explore - from landscaping and local culture to political structure and places of importance
  * Creating and operating MCs, some of which you might only interact with for thirty seconds before never seeing them again
  * Setting up the basic plot points they’d like you and your party to hit each session
  * Making sure Skills, Items, and other character details balance out and make sense within the world
  * Assembling and distributing info sheets, BG sheets, and any other gameplay materials that you as a player might not be able to get on your own
  * Keeping the peace during sessions
  * Offering up tips during gameplay to nudge the story along



Gamemasters occupy an interesting position - they create and largely control the world that players journey through, but they don’t have  _ all _ the power. A good Gamemaster doesn’t snuff out their player’s hopes and dreams if they can help it. Instead, they help keep the balance between players stable while also helping them have the time of their lives. Players, remember - trust is a wind that blows both ways, so if you trust your Gamemaster to do what they think is right, you’ll be well on your way to a successful campaign. Just like you have your tools to play as you wish, your Gamemaster has a few special tricks available to keep things balanced and make sure they’re having fun, too.

  
If you’re reading this book in the hopes of becoming a Gamemaster, congratulations! You’ll find some important resources just for you later on in this book, but don’t forget to pay attention to the other stuff along the way. Part of being a good Gamemaster is being able to understand what your players are doing, and we think reading all of the gameplay rules  _ before _ that point will help you lead a stronger, richer game. Above all, remember that your power as a Gamemaster is not absolute - even though you mostly determine what players do and have special tools to keep things on track, you are not the king of the universe (even if you wrote it from scratch). Your duty is to ensure that your players have a fair, fun time. Being a Gamemaster is difficult, but so, so rewarding. Enjoy the ride!


End file.
